Verse of the Day - John 9:1-3

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents' sin?" Jesus answered, "It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him." ~ John 9:1-3 (NCV)

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All of us are born with limitations. For some, it might be a physical issue, such as blindness, cerebral palsy or a heart defect. For others, it may be fears, ADHD or bi-polar disorder. And then there are the issues that crop up as a result of life experiences -- these, too, may be physical (e.g. stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life as a result of a car accident) or mental (traumatized by war or domestic violence). A myriad of junk -- the fallout of sin -- is a part of our everyday lives.

But not necessarily are these the result of our sin, or the sin of our parents, like the disciples presumed in John 9. Yes, they are the fallout of the sin of mankind, but God allows us to have weaknesses, so that His power can be revealed! Like Paul declared...

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10(NIV)

Whatever it is that you have in your life that is considered a handicap or disability or "thorn", God can use for His glory, to show His power. Does that mean that you will be healed? No, as Paul discovered. It may mean that God will show His power through the weakness. Many in life were not healed by their Creator . . . I think of Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident as a teenager. Check out her life since this seemingly tragic, life-altering accident. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Eareckson_Tada

Her life-altering accident became life-altaring worship and glory to God. Joni did not let her trying circumstance squelch God's power; rather, she allowed it to reveal God's power. I think it is very possible that she wouldn't have nor could have EVER reached the people she is reaching for Jesus today with such power had she not had her debilitating accident. Our weaknesses truly are God's strength revealed.

I pray that you can take comfort today in the story of the blind man and people like Joni Eareckson Tada. Whatever your weakness, God can show His power through it. You may wish to be healed, but God may wish for you to thrive through it, in the midst of it, in His power. We are so quick to make up God's mind for Him when it comes to us or our loved ones, but His mind is beyond comprehension -- we must trust Him in the decisions He makes for us, and commit to being His servant all the way -- for better or for worse.

Like I've said before, our lemons are God's lemon-aide. Try opening your eyes to the possibility that your limitations are expressly given to you for the purpose of revealing His power to others! Our weaknesses can be tools to point people to God, if we are willing to allow His glory to shine through the cracks and potholes of our lives, instead of discarding our lives as defective.

God doesn't have a junk pile; He's the Master Recycling Artist! So, be the art that God has created, and let the world see the Master...

Love,

Joelene